CAFE2U BLOG

Coffee Customs Around The Globe

For most of us – well at least us here in the Cafe2U office – the significance of coffee revolves mainly around its ability to perk us up as a delicious pick-me-up.

However, in many countries and cultures around the world, this beverage has considerably more profound connotations.

In this blog post, we are going to explore a few of these interesting traditions.

If we have missed any off the list, please get in touch!

Africa

For various African tribes, coffee is treated as a very spiritual substance.

During tribal ‘Blood Ceremonies’ or ‘Blood Oaths’, for example, when two people swear an eternal loyalty to each other, the blood of the two people making a pledge is mixed and put between the twin seeds of a coffee fruit, and the whole is swallowed.

Europe

Europe is home to the highest per capita consumption of coffee in the world.

Unlike many of the countries in Southern Europe, where coffee is commonly consumed as a social ritual or as part of or after a meal, in Central and Northern Europe it is usually drunk at home mid-morning or mid-afternoon, frequently at a table laid with sandwiches and cakes.

America

Over in the United States, variety is the word when it comes to coffee consumption.

People often experiment with different coffee blends, roasts and countries of origin, and they tend to consume the beverage at home in the morning or after a meal, and will often sip it in gourmet coffee bars and cafés with friends and family.

Middle East

Very much like in Africa, countries in the Middle East still imbue coffee with a spiritual and religious quality, and it is even used in many religious ceremonies.

The rituals commonly begin by roasting the coffee beans in a special bowl, and then cooling them on a straw plate prior to grinding them with a mortar and pestle.

Then coffee is then prepared in a traditional clay pot and served in tiny cups.

Lastly, the sludgy residue left behind in the serving cups are sometimes “read” (divined) to predict the coffee drinker’s fortune.

Over to you

So, there we have it, some remarkable coffee customs from around the world.

Do you have any coffee customs that you’d like to share with us?

Have you been to any parts of the world where you’ve witnessed some interesting coffee customs?

If so, we’d love to hear from you – just get in touch via social media!